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A first for us: In Umalulu, we're tracking malaria house by house.
👋 Hi everyone, it's Alex.
How are you? It's been a while since I've taken the time to write to you... And I wanted to apologise.
Here in East Sumba, the days are long, intense, and utterly devoted to our programs: medical care, reservoir construction, malaria prevention, access to clean water... I also had to go to Surabaya to repair the Truck of Life, a 60-hour ferry ride!
Time flies between two villages, two missions, two meetings under a blazing sun. But today, I'm taking a moment to give you our news, tell you about our experiences here, and share the stories that carry us forward, day after day.
Today, we are writing to you directly from Umalulu, in East Sumba, where we launched something a little crazy, but above all, necessary, thanks to all of you and our friends at Rotary International and Rotary Against Malaria.
For over 16 years, we've been treating children and entire families affected by malaria. But this time, with the Kawan Against Malaria program, we're going further: we're trying to understand why and how the disease spreads so much. We don't just treat; we investigate, analyse, and anticipate.
This is a significant milestone for us at Fair Future:
 We've developed another simple, practical digital application that allows us to collect data house by house, asking 65 questions about health, housing, living conditions, knowledge of malaria, access to care, the immediate environment, and more. I've attached the paper version of the questionnaire.
It's painstaking work.
Every day, the Kawan Sehat health workers, whom you now know well, crisscross the hills, knock on doors, patiently note everything down, sometimes under a blazing sun. I'm there with them too. Together, we share the dust, the climbs, the descents, and above all, the fierce desire to change things.
In Umalulu, nearly one in two people falls ill with malaria each year. That's enormous. It's revolting.
And yet, until now, no one had ever taken the time to listen, to observe, to understand why.
What will this study change?
- What will this study change?
- It will tell us where to take priority action.
- It will reveal the most critical hotspots that we didn't suspect.
- It will allow us to protect children early, even before they fall ill.
It's slow. It's meticulous. But it's solid.
This study is 100% field-based, 100% human.
No lab here, no state-of-the-art equipment. Just us, our agents, our phones, and this thirst to understand and act.
Next July, with all this data, we'll be able to map malaria, village by village, house by house. And propose targeted, effective, and realistic solutions to the authorities and our government partners.
For once, we won't be subjected to the disease. We'll fight it intelligently. And believe me, seeing the pride in the eyes of the Kawan Sehat agents is a victory in itself. Because they know they're not just treating a fever. They're changing the future of their own community.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for making this possible.
See you soon for more news from the field! Alex Wettstein.
☑️ Our interactive project map is here.
☑️ The paper version of the questionnaire.
☑️ The image gallery from these two days of training.
☑️ See all the active campaigns here.
☑️ All the Fair Future news here.
☑️ Let's remember our Mission.
☑️ The archive of our stories.
☑️ Give us your feedback. |
